Toilet ventilating means



Oct. 12, 1948. c. M. MOLPUS 2,451,108

TOILET VENTILATING MEANS Filed Oct. 24, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 i zz Patented Oct. 12, 1948 ll N! TED S IATES PATE N T ()EFiliCE TOILETVENTILATING MEANS Caleb. M. Molpus, Memphis, Tenn.

Application'october 24, 1946,Serial*N0. 705,377

8 Claims.

My invention relates to toilet ventilating means,

and itzis anobject of the same to provide improved means for drawing off-odors from a toiled-which means shall be simple anddnexpensive, while being-inconspicuous and not likely to get out bowl construction whereby odors maybe withdrawn therefrom.

Referring to the drawings which are made a part of this application for patent, and in which similar reference characters indicate similar parts:

Fig. 1 is a plan of the device of my invention, with parts omitted for clearness,

Fig. 2 is a front elevation, with parts broken away,

Fig. 3 is a side away, and

Fig, 4 is a detail, partly in section, showing parts of the toilet bowl and cover.

In the drawings, reference character indicates generally a toilet bowl having a cover ll hinged to the bowl near the rear thereof in any desirable or conventional manner. The bowl has a circumferential passage molded in the upper part of its outer wall at I2, said passage communicating with the interior of the bowl by way of a plurality of small ports l3, the circumferential passage terminatin at the rear of the bowl in a rearward passage M leading to a pipe 55 connecting the passage M to a casing l6 for a motor and a fan operated thereby. A lightweight ball check-valve i! may be located in the slightly inclined passage l4, so as normally to close the same at its point of connection with the annular passage 12, this valve being light and small enough to be moved to the right in Fig. 4 and permit air from the bowl to be drawn past it by the suction of the fan hereinafter described. A water supply pipe is indicated at [8.

The casing It is located on a shelf l9 behind the bowl, inside a housing having a rear access door 2%, the motor 22 being supported on an inclined track 23 fixed to said shelf, and the motor frame having rollers 24' at its under side running on said track to the extent permitted elevation with parts broken by the upturned ends 2 4o-offthettrackmembers '23. "The motor shaft'iZ-E has afan fixed coaxially thereon at'its higher end, which'fan draws air through the pipe l5. and forces it out of the casing through. a'fitting 21 leading to a vent pipe"28 which conducts the air either upward or downward to the outer air or to a furnace. or otherwise disposes thereof.

The "motor .is driven .by means ot-a circuit connected at 29 lZOLaIIY'SUltabIB source of power,

said circuit comprising. conductors 30 "and 1.3!

adaptedto be connected ,by means of .a Lmercury switch 32 to actuate the: motor 22. The. switch isflocated-in an inclined'portion-of the'tiltable seat,,so that when thenseat'is pressed down: by the 'weight'of'a person'the circuit will be closed and the motor and. fan, get in operation.

The 'fitting.21 has .a'tapered seat, at. its end -nearest themotor, and the motor casing carries ai'taperedgplug "V8J1V8f2l' adapted-to seat therein and soto close the passage between the vent 28 and casing It, thus preventing air'rrom passing in either direction through said fitting. It will be evident that when the mercury switch is closed the motor will rotate, causing the fan to rotate and draw air from the bowl, at the same time pulling the motor to the right in Fig. 2 so as to open the passage to the vent pipe, whereupon air is forced out of the casin IE to the vent pipe. The seat ll may be normally held in raised position by means such as a spring (not shown), and when raised after having been depressed the circuit will be broken at switch 32, the motor and the fan will stop, and the gravity action of the motor and associated parts will cause them to move down the track and so to close the port in fitting 21. The ball check valve I! may be omitted, but if used it will close the left-hand end of passage l4 when the device of my invention is not in use, being drawn to the right to open the passage by the suction of fan 2% when the motor igrunning,

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that many variations may be made in the devices herein shown and described, all Without departing from the spirit of the invention; and, therefore, I do not limit myself to What is shown in the drawings and described in the specification, but only as indicated in the appended claims.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In combination with a toilet bowl, a normally elevated toilet seat, a casing, a track in the casing, a motor movable along said track, inlet and outlet ports adjacent opposite ends of said track,

connections from the inlet port to the interior of the bowl, a valve on the motor for closing the outlet port, a fan driven by the motor and arranged to move the motor along the track and thus to open the outlet port When the motor is in action, means biasing the motor to travel in the opposite direction and thus to close the outlet port when.

the motor is deenergized, and a circuit for the motor including a switch that is closed upon depression of the seat.

2. In combination, a toilet seat, a toilet bowl having an air passage formed therein and communicating with the interior of the bowl, a casing, a track in the casing, inlet and outlet ports in the casing adjacent opposite ends of the track, connections from the inlet port to said air pas-' sage, a motor movable along said track, a valve traveling with the motor to close the outlet port,

a fan driven by the motor and arranged to move the motor along the track so as to open the outlet port when the motor is energized, means biasing the motor to travel in the opposite direction along the track when the motor is deenergized, and a gravity actuated valve so located as to close the passage to the inlet valve in the absence of suction in said passage.

3. Ventilating means comprising a casing, a track in the casing, inlet and outletportsin the casing adjacent opposite ends of said track, a motor traveling on said track, a valve movable with the. motor in its travel, said valve closing said outlet port when the motor is out of action,

a fan driven by the motor and arranged to move the motor along the track and thus to open the outlet port, and means biasing the motor to travel toward the outlet port and thus to close said port when the motor is out of action.

4. A device as in. claim v3, including a vent pipe in communication with said outlet port,.a housing for concealing said vent pipe, and an access door to said housing.

5. Ventilating means comprising a casing, a track therein, inlet and outlet ports at spaced points with reference to said track, a motor movable along said track, a valve movable with the motor in its travel along said track, a fan driven by the motor and tending to move the same in a direction for opening the outlet port, and means biasing the motor to move in a direction to close the outlet port When the motor is deenergized.

6. A device as in claim 5, wherein the motor shaft is parallel to the track, and. the fan and valve are mounted respectively upon opposite ends of the shaft.

7. A'device as 'in claim 5, wherein the track slopes downward from theinlet end of the casing toward the outlet ends thereof.

8. Ventilating means comprising a casing, a port in the casing, a valve movable to open and close the port, a motor movable with the valve, a fan driven by the motor and moving the same and the valve in a direction for opening the port, and means biasing the motor to move the same and the valve in a direction to close the port when the motor is deenergized.

' CALEB M. MOLPUS.

7 REFERENCES CITED The following references .are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 7 Carman Apr. 15, 1941 

